She was married to actor and director Leo Penn from 1957 until his death in 1998.
The eldest of their three children, Michael, informed of his death with a Twitter post, accompanied by a photo of him, next to which he placed a broken-hearted emoticon. On Monday he wrote: “Yesterday we lost mother”.
Eileen would have turned 95 on October 16.
Her stage name Eileen Ryan comes from her name Eileen and her mother’s maiden name Ryan.
She often accompanied her son Sean to red carpet events, alongside her friends, such as Julia Roberts. She has appeared in many of her films of hers, including I Am Sam.
Born in New York in 1927, Eileen was the daughter of Rose Isabelle, a nurse, and Amerigo Giuseppe Annucci, a dentist.
In 1957 she married Leo Penn, an actor and trade union activist who had been blacklisted in the industry from the late 1940s to the late 1950s.
The couple remained together for more than 40 years, until Leo’s death in 1998.
Her first television appearance was in the drama series “Goodyear Television Playhouse” in 1955. She previously appeared on Broadway, debuting in 1953 in “Sing Till Tomorrow” at the age of 25 and later starring in “Comes a Day” in 1958.
Eileen has consistently appeared on television shows and was frequently directed by her husband in episodes of the series “Bonanza”, “Cannon” and “Little House on the Prairie”.
Her other small screen credits include The Twilight Zone in 1960, along with guest roles in hit 90s series such as NYPD Blue, Ally McBeal, and more.
Before sharing the screen with her son Sean in many of her productions, she put her acting career on hold to become a full-time mother.
She once insisted that Sean take her to the Academy Awards.
He said it in an interview in 2005: “Before being named, my mother called me: ‘Captain Kangaroo died today (actor Robert Keeson – note). He was 76 years old. I am 77. This year you will bring me at the Oscars. ” I said, “Mom, I’m not even named.” She said, “Don’t be stupid!
But his son was actually nominated for Secret River in 2004 and won the award that night, while his mother proudly encouraged him.
In 1986, she returned to acting, playing the film grandmother of her sons Sean and Chris in At Close Range.
She last appeared in Warren Beatty’s romantic drama The Rules Don’t Apply in 2016.
